The use of renewable energy sources to generate power is becoming a focus for all of humanity, as fossil fuels and other sources of power diminish. One type of renewable energy source that is sought after is the power of the wind. Wind turbines are being built across the world, which operate using wind, and generate power for use in power systems in a large number of countries. Because wind is renewable, and because the turbines themselves have little effect on the wind, power generated by the wind is considered to be very clean energy, particularly with respect to other potential power sources.
However, while wind energy may be clean and renewable, it can often be unreliable. The wind can blow at a wide range of speeds and in any direction at any given moment, if it blows at all. The efficiency of wind turbines is highly affected by the various properties of the wind, as well as the properties and operation of the wind turbine itself. For example, the positioning of the blades of a wind turbine with respect to the wind direction can have a significantly large effect on the power generated by the wind turbine. As a result, many wind turbines may have turbine controllers that adjust operation of the wind turbine based on properties of the local wind. In many instances, the wind properties are identified using mechanical sensors mounted on the wind turbine.
Unfortunately, existing turbine controllers and mechanical sensors can suffer from a number of problems. First, mechanical wind sensors can be highly susceptible to ice and are thus often only operable in warmer conditions, which may cause wind turbines to either be built away from colder climates, or may cause wind turbines in colder climates to lose efficiency due to malfunctioning and/or damaged sensors. Furthermore, in existing systems, the mechanical wind sensors are either directly interfaced, or interfaced electrically via a passive and/or active signal conditioner, with a wind turbine's turbine controller. However, because turbine controllers can vary from wind turbine to wind turbine, and because turbine controllers often operate using different wind properties and signal types, each installation may require special consideration and configuration. Such functions may require a significant expenditure of time and resources in order to set up the wind turbines. Furthermore, such systems may require additional servicing and repair times, as workers would need to be familiar with every possible type of interface between the controllers and the sensors.
Thus, there is a need for a technical system for operation of a wind turbine that avoids using problematic mechanical wind sensors, and that is interchangeable between various turbine controllers, in order to minimize setup and maintenance costs, while maintaining a higher level of optimization in wind turbine operation.